Li Galli
by Dani Jones
Summary: A gift for my sweet Petals. Happy Belated Birthday. Goodness, I'm good at giving late presents... Aro and Fiona celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary by visiting Aro's home away from home. Oneshot.


How he'd thought this time would never come.

After thousands of years with his estranged wife, Sulpicia, and then losing her to his arch-nemesis, he never thought he would recover. The pain was indescribable, and only then was he able to empathize with his brother, Marcus. Many a-night did he lie on his canopied bed and simply ask the heavens why he was being punished. Was it something that he did? Something that he didn't do? Something he missed completely?

Years of torture and solitude suddenly cured when he stumbled upon a young angel. This girl appeared to him right before a meal, and from the moment he saw her, he could not take his attention from her, no matter the reason. He found himself unable to allow any harm to come to her, and instead, pledged to protect her.

Since then, they had fallen into love with each other, and he was happier than he had been in hundreds of years.

Ten years had passed, and their bliss was just as intense and full as the day they had declared love to one another. For their anniversary, he wanted to do something special.

"Aro, don't forget my ivory brushes." His dearest Fiona said in passing as she scurried around the room, readying for their trip away.

He only chuckled, smoothing his hand over her back. "Never fear,_ amore_."

She gave him a small, grateful smile before walking briskly out of the room. He continued to pack their things, his hand unconsciously straying to his jacket pocket, where he fingered the box that contained her gift.

A new wedding ring. One made from only the finest silvers, diamonds, and platinum.

He knew that she did not idolize material things as Sulpicia did, but it was the sentiment that counted. Besides, he wanted the world to know that the blonde angel was his.

Fiona re-entered with a large bag slung over her bent elbow, the bag bursting at the seams from the amount of toys in it.

"Do you think I have enough? I don't want the children to miss us. Oh, God, Aro! I cannot bear to think of leaving them even for a day! How are we going to make it for seven?" she gasped, putting her hands on her face – the bag hung from her arm as she lifted it effortlessly in her immortality.

Aro only chuckled, sliding his arm around her waist from behind and nuzzling her hair, inhaling her celestial scent. "My queen, don't you fret; they are to be well attended to. They adore Renata, and Marcus has promised to read them a story every night as they go to bed. You know how they love his story-telling."

She relaxed noticeably, and leaned against him. "Yes, they do. Helena re-counts his stories to me in the morning." She chuckled gently. "Of course, she always gets a few of the details mixed up…"

Aro chortled in return, kissing her temple. "Come, we must be off. The ferry will not wait forever."

She turned around and dropped the bag to the ground, encircling her arms around his neck. "Not like you would wait forever for me."

He purred gently, leaning his forehead against hers before touching his lips lovingly to hers. She immediately deepened the kiss, closing her eyes, and emitting a gentle moan. He smirked inwardly – it seemed that she could never get enough of him.

Nor could he of her.

The fire that burned within them both still raged, even after a decade. His hands found her waist, and he hugged her close. After almost an entire minute, their kiss broke. She bit her lower lip as she grinned at him. "That ferry…?"

He took her hand and picked up the bag for her, tugging her gently. "Our things are in the car."

She nodded and skipped ahead of him, tugging him enough to cause him to stumble forward. He laughed merrily at his own position.

"I suppose I shouldn't break you just yet!" she joked, glancing backward at him. He smirked at her, catching the double meaning of her words. "I mean, you are old! And somewhat decrepit!"

He snarled playfully at her words, blurring forward to sweep her into his arms without breaking stride. He ran them both to the nursery, setting her down before opening the door. Helena and Alexander looked up simultaneously from their drawings, gasping, and sharing twin expressions of glee.

"Mama! Papa!" they both cried, launching into the arms of their parents. Aro beamed as his daughter snuggled into his neck, their raven hair mixing together into an indiscernible mix. Fiona kissed her beautiful son and his messy blond curls, smiling into his face that mirrored hers. How perfect, Aro thought, that they should conceive two children that bore their likenesses so wonderfully. Fiona's human body had endured much, but the reward was priceless. Though the children were conceived the old-fashioned way, the progeny themselves were fully human – thanks to supernatural help from a witch in Latvia.

_Of course witches exist. _He chuckled to himself. _There are other supernatural folk than only vampires and werewolves. Why did we think the mystery stopped there?_

"You 'weaving, mama?" Alexander asked, his cherub cheeks slightly red.

She nodded gently. "Yes, my precious son – in a moment or two. Your papa and I wanted to come and say 'goodbye'."

Helena puckered out her lower lip and hugged Aro's neck tighter. "We don' want you to go." She said with a little pout.

Aro kissed the top of her head. "'Tis only a week, _angela_. I promise that we will be back, and when we do, we will bring gifts."

They both perked up. Fiona laughed heartily. "Such greedy little things!"

They both grinned excitedly. Aro and Fiona strategically switched the twins to give goodbyes, whispering messages of love into their ears. When they separated, the twins were given to Renata, who began readying them for bed.

"Are you ready?" Aro asked, smoothing her hair out of her face and squeezing her hand gently. She sucked in her lower lip before nodding, watching Renata walk away with her babies. She waved to them as they looked over Renata's shoulders. The door soon closed, separating them wholly.

"Come," Aro whispered after sneaking a kiss to her ear, tugging her gently along. She came right with him, tearing her gaze from the door. As soon as they were halfway to the garage, her excitement returned.

"What's this place called again?"

"Li Galli; it's an island just off the west coast."

"An island!" she exclaimed, grinning widely.

He grinned at her enthusiasm. "Indeed; and it is all for us. No one around."

They walked to the large underground garage containing more than twenty vehicles, several limousines, luxury cars, darkly-tinted windows, and eight single-passenger bullet bikes.

Felix was waiting there for them, opening the back door of the midnight black Mercedes. Aro took Fiona's hand and helped her into the car, sneaking a kiss to her knuckles before sliding in behind her. Felix closed the door and blurred into the driver's seat.

"Time for the ferry, Master?"

"Fifteen minutes, Felix."

Felix nodded once before opening the massive door to the underground treasure trove, gliding out into the dusk. Fiona's hand found Aro's, and their fingers entwined, matching each other perfectly, as if they were made for the sole purpose of fitting into one another.

Fiona's head moved onto his shoulder, and he returned her gesture with a little nuzzle of his own head, cradling hers close. He smiled gently at the tender gesture.

"I think you will enjoy the island; I have not been there in many years."

She grinned, smoothing the cagnia of his hand with her thumb. "I'm sure I will. You always have such good taste."

He chortled lightly. "I remember when you first arrived, and you were so…overwhelmed. You exclaimed that you had never seen such finery in your whole life."

"I hadn't!" she gasped, turning her head to look up at him. "When you gave me that golden bracelet and said that it was 'pocket change' for you, I just about died!"

He learned heartily then. "Your human exclamations are so ridiculous – yet amusing."

She lightly smacked his thigh; a gesture that both offended and invigorated him. He was amazed at the mix – one that only she had been able to conjure. He swallowed his lust for now, suppressing the swell within his chest and groin.

Felix wound through the city and out toward the coast. Their sleek vehicle drove without headlights, cloaking them almost completely. It gave them the freedom to drive without restriction.

Only thirty minutes later, they arrived at the wharf. Felix held open the door for them both, closing it once they were out and retrieving their things. Aro kept Fiona's hand in his, squeezing it gently as she gazed upon the humble ferry. Felix walked ahead of them and began loading their suitcases – both had packed just as extensively; Fiona out of need, and Aro out of vanity.

The ferry operator popped out of his glass booth and waved, speaking in thick, excitable Italian. Aro returned his greeting with a smile.

"_Questa è la tua cara moglie_?" _Is this your darling wife?_

Aro nodded and gestured with his hand toward Fiona. "This is she."

The captain took off his battered cap and bowed his balding head. Fiona looked somewhat sheepish, her cheeks looking as if about to fill in a blush, but alas, immortality restricts such a sentiment.

"Fiona, this is 'skipper' Aldolfo Venetzi. One of the most fine – and insane – mortals I have ever encountered. He is employed by the Volturi."

Fiona looked surprised, glancing between Aro and the skipper. Aldolfo nodded enthusiastically. "And they have been very good to me." He replied in a thick accent, his English garbled to the point of potential confusion.

Aro smirked. "We can be as such." He said mostly to Fiona, who still looked stunned. "Come."

He stepped into the swaying ferry first, extending his hand to help her in, though she was fully capable of going on her own. She smiled at the gentlemanly behavior, settling down onto a padded bench next to her husband. His hand slipped around her waist, cradling her right into his side.

Aldolfo jumped irreverently onto the floor of the boat and shuffled into the glass booth, firing the boat to life. Soon, the sea air whipped their hair and brushed their faces, their journey fully underway. The island was an hour trip from the coast, and Fiona almost wished it would never end.

"I've never been on the water before…" she remarked into his ear, brushing her lips against the lobe teasingly. She knew what got him going. He grit his teeth as the swell of arousal returned in a crushing wave to his body.

She knew exactly what she was doing. Aro knew it, also.

"Be careful, love…" he purred roughly, the smoothness crowded by his growing lust.

She only smirked, purposefully brushing her fingertips across his lap before returning to her place against his side. A dark mass soon showed on the horizon, and _Li Galli_ was waiting patiently for them in the darkness.

Aldolfo pulls skillfully to the floating dock, anchoring the boat.

"Help with your bags?"

"Please." Aro replied, standing. He kept Fiona's hand, helping her onto the bobbing dock. She looked around at the dark mass, barely able to make out the shape in the pitch blackness. Her enhanced vision only helped a bit.

"Goodness…it's a castle."

Aro said nothing, stopping for a moment in the sand for her to gaze upon his home away from home. A home not visited in many years.

"You just can't get away from castles, can you?"

"It's not nearly as expansive as the _fortezza_, but no; I did want something that resembled my own home without being a copy. That way, if we ever had to flee, we would not need adjustment."

Fiona frowned, the conversation taking a dark turn.

"Flee?"

"The Volturi has enemies, you know."

"I don't like to think so." She muttered, squeezing his hand tighter. The idea of anything happening to him was absolute agony.

"Come, let us not dwell. We are here for an anniversary, not in hiding." He kissed the top of her head gently, inhaling her scent briefly before pulling away. In the time they had stopped to speak, Aldolfo had unloaded the bags and set them by the gargantuan front door. Aro tugged on her hand gently, ushering her forward.

Withdrawing a gleaming brass key, Aro unlocked the door and swung it open. He lifted her hand and kissed the back before releasing it, blurring down the short corridor to illuminate it all simultaneously by a master switch at the end of the hall.

Fiona's eyes widened as she took in the grandeur of the cozy castle. Everything was shimmering, velvet, richly colored, and well-cleaned.

"Aro, it's beautiful." She smiled appreciatively, running her fingertips over a shiny cherry-wood cabinet to her right, bright flowers in a vase upon it. Aro grinned from across the hall, striding toward her in that manner that made her want to pounce him – confidently, yet, slowly; his shoulders swaying slowly.

Aro reached over her shoulder without taking his eyes off of hers, handing Aldolfo a stipend. Aldolfo gave a quiet farewell, and then scuttled away. The roar of the boat was only vaguely heard by both of them as it puttered away. Their lips met as they moved simultaneously, crushing against one another in a lustful, sloppy, and hot kiss. Aro's hands smoothed down around her waist, stopping at her curving hips. Her shoulders slipped his overcoat off easily, hearing it _fwop_ to the floor.

Without breaking their sinful kiss, he swung her into his arms. She clasped both sides of his face, delving her tongue inside to meet his. He gave a low growl, blurring them upstairs to the elegant four-poster. They stood by the bed for a few minutes, enjoying the intimacy of merely being with one another.

Fiona finally broke the kiss, her voice rough and quiet.

"Take me to bed, husband."

In a blur of motion, they were on the bed, Aro's body nestled between her legs. Muffled moans and growls echoed off the walls as clothes were shed thoughtlessly, and bare skin made contact. Aro surged to be inside of her, grinning into her shoulder as he heard one of his favorite sounds – a soft gasp that came from her as she stretched to accommodate his length.

Their bodies intertwined as he began to move, slowly at first, savoring her, but eventually, they both sped, craving the release that built so painfully in them. Fiona's hand wrapped into his raven locks and tugged as she squealed in ecstasy. Aro strangled a groan as he felt her finish, her center clamping around him. Her lips found his ear, suckling mercilessly at his sweet spot. By the time she slithered her tongue inside, he was ready to tumble off the precipice.

His body seized, twitching as he came silently, his face twisted into an expression of brief agony, and then absolute bliss. Fiona watched in awe; it was something she would never become used to – watching him unravel. His mouth slowly closed and the lines in his face relaxed as he moved to lie atop her, temporarily spent.

The air was thick with the scent of sex, but Fiona didn't mind. If anything, she relished it – proof of the passion that kindled between them.

Her fingers idly brushed up and down his scapula, feeling the taut muscle beneath it. She smiled up at the ceiling, making a special memory of that moment.

"Darling?"

"Mmm?"

She bit her lower lip before speaking. "How long are we staying here?"

Aro lifted his head and rested his chin on her sternum, looking at her curiously. "Why do you ask?"

She had many reasons for asking, really. Firstly was her selfish desire to stay there forever. Secondly was the concern for her children, whom she ached being away from. Thirdly, she worried about her husband's work. He spent countless hours away from her locked in his study and sitting in the throne room. Missing even three days would mean him being away longer to catch up.

How she missed him during those long days. Her children spent most of their time with her, but they did not fill the void within her.

Aro's touch slipped into her consciousness, and he followed her train of thought. He frowned, and then sighed gently, leaning his head against hers.

"I apologize for my slights."

"Shh." She replied. "Kiss me again."

Aro obeyed, keeping the kiss slow, and lightly passionate. It was mostly for consolation. Fiona broke the kiss once she was sated, stroking his forehead with the tips of her fingers.

The air was broken by the sound of a ringing phone; one that rarely rang. In Fiona's experience, it only rang when there was an emergency.

She panicked.

Aro merely kissed her forehead, then slid from the bed, answering the iPhone with only some difficulty. He got better at it ever time, but Fiona was always amused at how technology outwitted him. The slider on the bottom of the phone almost taunted him.

She was too tensed, however, to enjoy the amusement; she gripped the sheets in her fists, her breathing paused.

As soon as the phone was answered, Renata spoke.

"Master?"

"Yes?" Aro breathed, his own fear obvious in the way that he stood.

"Your children want to talk to you. They miss you."

Fiona exhaled audibly, slouching onto the bed in relief. Aro chuckled lightly.

"Put them on, please."

The phone clattered briefly before two little voices overlapped each other.

"Papa? Mama?"

Fiona rose from the bed also, snuggling into Aro's side. She carefully took the phone from him and put it on speaker, letting the voices of their children into the castle.

"Hello, my little cherubs." Fiona said with a grin. "Do you miss us already?"

"Yes, mama." Their little daughter, Helena, spoke.

"Thank you for the toys." Alexander said quietly. Though he was often silent and bashful, his heart was big.

"You are very welcome, my little prince." Aro grinned, leaning his head against Fiona's. "Are you both being respectful and obedient to Renata?"

"Yes, papa." Helena all but grumbled.

Fiona smirked. "Don't cause any trouble now, all right?"

"Yes, mama."

Aro brushed his lips across Fiona's temple, listening to their precious children speak. Though she often did not cause trouble purposefully, it was as if she was almost in her genes to try and be superior to her younger twin brother. Little Alexander took her torment, and always forgave her.

She was too much like her father.

"Good girl. You both know that papa and I love you very much, right?"

"Yes." They both replied simultaneously.

"Good. Papa and I have to go, now. Thank you for calling us, little loves."

"I love you." Alexander said sweetly, making little kissing noises into the phone. Fiona giggled, as she had taught her son to blow kisses only a few days previous.

The phone soon went dead, and Aro replaced his phone into his bag pocket. He took Fiona into his arms.

"Now, where we were?"

She smirked with her luscious lips, leaning up to kiss his neck.

"Here…and here…"

"Ah-ah-ah; before we get too far…I have your gift."

She withdrew, a glimmer of excitement flashing into her eyes.

"Oh? What is it?"

Aro grinned like a child, kissing her forehead before retrieving a small box from the bag down stairs, returning in a blur. It was velvety and distinctively black.

A ring box.

Fiona gasped, then gave him a confused expression. "Love, I already have a ring from you. It's beautiful…" She lifted her hand, showing him the glinting golden band with a single ruby fastened to the center.

He shook his head. "That was the ring I gave you for your engagement. I want to present you with another one representing our eternity together."

She gave a heartfelt and touched smile. "Can I open it…?"

Aro knelt in front of her. "Let me do this right. My dearest Fiona; I love you with all that I am. You are my reason for being here, loving, and continuing my pursuit of perfection. You gave me two angels, and I cannot thank you enough. My existence is no longer frivolous and gray, but now, full of life and love. I give you this ring as a token of my affection, trust, devotion, and undying love. I hope that you will love me forever."

As his soliloquy finished, he opened the ring box. Inside was a beautiful, sterling silver, diamond-encrusted ring, decorated with interweaving vines with shining stones as the flowers. The ring was a stark comparison to her other golden one, but both were comparatively beautiful.

She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes welling with venom. "Oh, love…"

Aro gave her a tender smile, and then removed her golden band to place on her right hand, placing his new ring on the newly bared wedding finger. He stood, taking her into his arms, and sharing with her a kiss of unadulterated passion. She reciprocated as well as she could, a single tear of venom leaking from her eye. He felt it fall, and wiped it with his thumb.

"I love you," she said in a shaking whisper.

"I love _you_." He returned, leaning his forehead against hers.

As soon as the moment faded, she took his hand. "I feel like a swim."

He smiled widely, his teeth flashing briefly in the dimmed light. "That sounds lovely."

Together, they basked in the water beneath the full moon, the light gently playing off of their skin, casting haphazard sheens and glints of shine. They entwined once again, the lust between them rekindled, and raging more than before.

As the night passed to day, they found themselves wrapped around one another on the four-poster bed, merely enjoying being with one another.

_This is how love is supposed to be…_ Fiona thought to herself, giving a gentle nuzzle to Aro's bare chest as the thought exited her mind. He smiled, leaning down to kiss her head.

Their three days went by quickly, but they were filled to the brim with exciting moments, laughter, and enough love and passion to last three lifetimes.

As they returned to the dock for the ferry, Fiona leaned up to kiss Aro's cheek.

"We'll always be together, won't we?"

Aro nuzzled the top of her head with a smile. "I do believe you're stuck with me."

"Good." She whispered, turning her attention to the water as the ferry approached, sending a light wake over the surface of the water.

They soon returned home to their ecstatic children, who wrapped themselves around the waists of their parents and would not release.

Fiona kissed and hugged them into submission, retiring with her entire family to Aro's study, where the children played on the floor and told them both the stories of their adventures during the absence.

Fiona leaned against her husband, looking up with him. Her eyes spoke for her.

_Thank you for this. All of it._

Aro pecked her lips, whispering too low for her children to hear.

"_I love you._"


End file.
